tasty thursday: one pot lemon pepper chicken + rice

i think it goes without saying that the one thing i dislike more than cold weather and mayo is washing dishes. can i get an amen for that?! #sorrynotsorry

so, obviously, when i saw yet another video for a "one pot" recipe... i knew that I couldn't refuse the challenge.

as much as i love chicken and rice... yum... this was probably the first recipe that i tried and was somewhat disappointed. but don't fret... i'll take you through each step and let you know what i would do differently in order to make it absolutely scrumptious.

once i gathered my spices and blended them together, i didn't think that it was "lemony" enough. and since i had failed once again to remember lemons at the store {this is not the first time it's happened}, i grabbed a few essential oils to help add a tiny bit more flavor.

the crispness of the black pepper and the aromatics that the lemon possesses is a simply beautiful combination. since i always love adding a touch of heat, a dash of chipotle chili pepper hit the spot.

yum-o. it had the perfect amount of heat and the lemon paired wonderfully with the paprika. i spared half a tablespoon to add to the rice + onion mixture.

i chose to use chicken breasts instead of thighs, simply because i couldn't find any thighs that looked as delectable. and since i'm comfortable with cooking chicken breasts, i didn't think that it would make a big difference - and quite honestly, i don't think that it did.

okay, okay... here's where i had the issues.

number one... way too many onions in that pot. now, trust me when i say that i adore onions... but this time it was just way too much.

number two... i felt as if i were ruining a decent batch of risotto. and i love making (and eating) risotto! so this was a hard pill to swallow.

after popping it into the oven, we impatiently waited to see how it would really turn out... and please ignore my dirty oven!

and i'll admit, it did taste amazingly delicious, {which my husband can attest to as well}. but...

my changes?

if you're comfortable with cooking chicken thighs, try it!

simmer down with the onions.

mix up the spice mixture. taste to your perfection.

if you're comfortable with making risotto... bake the chicken and while that's in the oven,

create a creamy risotto. super simple!

don't broil your chicken after you pull it from the oven. i tried it with one piece, and it seemed to